The Government yesterday (9 March) agreed to nominate Judge Paul Kelly as President of the District Court.

The vacancy will arise following the upcoming appointment of current incumbent, Judge Colin Daly, to the Circuit Court.

A non-statutory Advisory Committee was established to assist with identifying eligible and qualified persons, including from among serving judges, who were interested in the post of President of the District Court.

Following consideration of their suitability, recommendations were made to the Minister for Justice on preferred candidates.

Process

A similar process was used to that for the appointment of the Chief Justice in 2017, the President of the Court of Appeal in 2018, the Presidents of the Circuit Court and the District Court in 2019, and the President of the High Court in 2020.

The members of the Advisory Committee were:

• Mr Justice Michael White of the High Court,
• Ms Jane Williams (Sia Partners, and also a previous chair of TLAC, Pensions Authority, Small Business and Services Forum), and
• Mr Paul Gallagher SC, Attorney General.

Judge Paul Kelly has a BCL from UCD (1978). In 1979, he enrolled as a solicitor. In 2018, he completed an LLM (Advanced Legal Practice) at Northumbria University, and was appointed to the District Court in December 2010.

Siobhan Stack SC has been named as an Ordinary Judge to the High Court. The vacancy will arise following the retirement of Mr Justice Bernard Joseph Barton.

Siobhan Stack joined the Bar in 1995 and the Inner Bar in 2013. Her educational qualifications include BCL, LLM (NUI), LLM (Cantab), and FCI Arb.